The Video Feed on seondlife.com

When it first came out, there was a flurry of posts about it. But lately not much is said. I've visited the feed many times in the last week or so. Most of the time I'm embarrassed by what I find there. Don't get me wrong, I understand people have the right to hang out in front of the camera. But some of the chaos, looks just like that, chaos.

On several message boards there are posts that mention the feed in a negative manner. People saying they couldn't really tell what was going on but it didn't look like fun.

I've mentioned on the boards that I frequently go there and spend an hour or so trying to make a running commentary on what is going on on screen. When no one is around, I pull out an easel with some pictures of my house and stuff I've done in Second Life. I've received some comments that my efforts were appreciated.

Today someone asked me what I was doing. They said no one watches but Second Life players. This is a common misconception. Or so I was thining. I thought the whole idea was to market SL on the web page through the snapshots and video feed.

I've also had a couple of people chastise me for interfering with their gun play.

So I want to know what others feel about the video feed. Am I wasting my time going there giving commentary and trying to explain things? Is it mostly other players watching?

With this promotion of free memberships coming up next week, I think there will be increase interest in that feed since it is on the main page.

I don't think you are wasting your time at ALL. Your idea was, in fact, the best way of utilizing this live feed that there could be, I thought.

I say, keep it up.

If there is too much stuff on there that makes people say it doesn't look like fun, then, well, maybe it wasn't such a good idea as it looked like to me at first.

coco

I'd just make a small talk show set........ quietly fly it in, set up proper area denial, and just host a show.

Hmm or you could just act liket here is no camera and show potential new residents the possibilties of what we can create here in SL.

You don't have to do anything. If it's causing you stress then don't bother.

Oh Roberta, it's fun. If Second Life wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it. I'm sorry you thought there was stress. I just wanted to start a postive thread about something that interest me in Second Life.

Let's try to think positive. I know I sound Pollyannish, but that's the way I feel.

I have had a lot of fun with the live feed. While I know there is sometimes chaotic stuff going on in front of 'ole Video Linden, generally I have found it to be quite pleasant.

I took have done some of the things already mentioned above. I made a backdrop and stage and hosted a talk show interviewing my real life roommate who plays and a random avie who happened to be hanging out in Morris. I once did a funny how to build a prim class where I made the Leaning Tower of Pisa (woo hoo rotate). Several times I either asked a Linden for permission or later had one come up to me and say they happened to see it and thought it was great. They also said that they knew for a fact that THOUSANDS of people had logged in to view the live feed since it began.

As a side note, I have gone to the live feed most times when I get a friend to log onto the website and check it out. I talk to them through the game, dance or whatever and so far all have gotten a kick out of it. I have now had 3 friends sign up as a direct result of them seeing me on the live feed. And yesterday the strangest thing happened when I got a notification that 'so and so' friend had signed on for the first time. I IM'ed them to see who they were and it was no one I knew, but a random person who saw me on the live feed and just happened to use my name as a referal.

So all you creative people out there, USE the live feed to your benefit or just go there and be silly or teach a little class to the camera or whatever. I for one will try and watch!

Between you and April, I am getting inspired! I think I'll go sometime and build something in front of the camera. I guess that would be pretty interesting to someone who hadn't been in the game!

coco

Since the first day, which was full of people showing off in front of the camera, the screen has been blank for me - any ideas why?

Alexa

I too have been having problems with the feed lately, check all my drivers, but no luck.

You havent installed WMP10 since, have you? It only seems to work with 9.

Which actually brings me to a question. Can people on a Mac/non Windows machine view this?

Ohhh.... It that why music stations are not running through WMP as well?!

Make Video Linden invisible & phantom (easily done with av attachment).

Sit Video Linden on a prim that moves to random locations based on the landmarks in its inventory (also very easy to script). This also keeps him from being knocked over.

Turn off preferences to show av names and hide the chat text box (so people don't IM somebody they see walk by to find the location).

Automatically move Video Linden to a new random location when the number of the avs in the local area is greater than 3. (easy script)

wouldn't something like this be great at the welcome area?

They'll probably have to retire Video and just start passing the camera randomly amoung themselves. It is pretty cool that you actually see someone playing the game now rather than just a bunch of people waving privates in the air. I'd volunteer for a list of people who were randomly "filmed" and published to the home page. I suppose there'd be rules about where you could go and such while you were the feed. And of course you'd have to let people know so their inworld privacy wasn't compromised. I think that's silly mind; we have invisible mods that can already see everything we do and say. But it seems important to people so we have to respect their feelings.

What was I talking about? Yes, having a single named Linden provide the video feed seems to attract a specific segment of the population that LL might not want communicating such a, shall we say focused?, view of what it's like to be inworld. So start passing that camera around and keep us on our toes. Oh I forgot; we don't have toes.

Countered: llSensor(). In fact, that would be an almost easier way to find Video Linden.

Don't get me wrong: I do agree with your ideas.


'cept this one. I agree that if there are too many people around, but drawing the line at 4 is a bit exessive if you ask me - especially if you're trying to show what people are doing at the moment; after all, most events have more than three participants. Maybe drawing it at the llSensor(Repeat)() limit, 16?

Al and Keilaron, ooh this is great. Please post this to the Linden Hotline. It's my understanding that's where they really pick up on ideas from us.

Bravo to everyone who has been doing something positive.

ReallyRick, that is so wonderful what you have been doing. I'm hoping to rally some more people to do the same.

I love this game so much!!!!